TOPLINE
Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of wire fraud conspiracy related to a gambling scheme in which he bet on NBA games and gave other bettors information about his health, leading to him being permanently banned from the league.
KEY FACTS
The former Raptor, who his lawyer has said struggles with gambling addiction, entered his guilty plea at his arraignment at a New York federal court and was released on a $250,000 bond, the Associated Press reported.
Porter was given a lifetime ban from the league in April over the gambling scandal, with the NBA saying in a press release an investigation found he had disclosed “confidential information to sports bettors” and had limited his participation in one or more games for betting purposes.
Porter is set to be sentenced in December and will likely have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution and potential fines and, though the charge carries up to 20 years in prison, Porter agreed not to appeal a sentence of less than five years, ABC News reported.
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CRUCIAL QUOTE
At his arraignment Wednesday, Porter reportedly expressed remorse, saying, “I knew what I did was wrong and unlawful and I’m deeply sorry for my conduct.”